Thursday, December 23, 2010 (Page 3)
A young man who said he was on a bus with Amina Mohammed and others when the alleged mass rape and robbery took place in October 2010 yesterday prayed the Accra Circuit Court to refuse him bail.
Michael Frimpong did not give any reason for his request but the presiding judge, Mr Kyei Baffour, declined his weird request and granted him bail in the sum of GH¢10,000 with three sureties.
The accused person, who has pleaded not guilty to one count of deceit of public officer, claimed that on the day of the said robbery, he could not have erection until he was hit with the butt of a gun that made him have sex with a 40-year-old woman.
When the matter was called in Accra yesterday, a State Attorney, Mr Paul A. Abariga, informed the court that the prosecution was not opposed to bail because investigations into the matter had been completed.
However, Michael shocked the court when he indicated he did not need bail. He said he wanted to be held in custody but the court held a different view and accordingly granted him bail.
Counsel for Amina Mohammed, Mr Andy Appiah-Kubi, however, alleged that Michael was a potential witness for Amina and was, therefore, being harassed by the police not to testify for Amina.
His claim has been described as false by Mr Abariga, who argued that it would be most unfortunate for the police to allow a criminal to walk the streets without being made to face the law.
The brief facts of the case were that the accused person went to the premises of a radio station in Achimota and pleaded for airtime to confirm Amina Mohammed’s claim that robbers attacked passengers when they reached Kintampo and that in the process, the robbers ordered a mass rape of female occupants of their bus.
According to the prosecution, the manager of the station did not give Michael the airtime and rather called the police who effected his (Michael’s) arrest.
The prosecution said Michael told the police during investigations that the bus he and Amina travelled on was a green OA bus but investigations later revealed that the said bus was rather an ash Yutong bus.
The prosecution further pointed out that Michael told investigators he had a ticket to prove he was on board the bus but he failed to produce the said ticket.
His case has been adjourned to January 17, 2011.
Meanwhile, Amina Mohammed, the woman at the centre of the rape and robbery story, has been charged with one count of publishing false news with intent to cause fear and panic.
She has pleaded not guilty and has been granted bail in the sum of GH¢5,000 with a surety.
Her trial has been adjourned to January 11, 2011.
The brief facts of Amina’s case were that she granted interviews to radio stations on October 26, 2010 and stated among other things that she was among passengers on a bus which was attacked by armed robbers when they reached Kintampo and that in the process the robbers ordered a mass rape of female occupants.
She was also quoted as saying a father was ordered to rape his 14-year-old daughter.
According to the prosecution, investigations revealed that such incident did not occur and said the driver of the said bus reported a case to the Ejisu Police and stated in his statement that his bus was nearly attacked by robbers at Kubease but he managed to escape although the windscreen of his vehicle was hit by a gunshot.
The prosecution further stated that the driver of the bus drove off 30 minutes after reporting the incident, which occurred at about 10 p.m. on October 11, 2010.
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